All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance.

If the title sounds familiar, it is a quote from Will Rogers. I hope everyone knows who he is. For any that don't, he is one of Oklahoma's most loved favorite sons. A native American, he was born near Claremore in what was then Indian Territory and died with another famous Oklahoman, Wiley Post, in a plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska in 1935. He was a performer, starting out in wild west shows, an actor and humourist. With his quick wit and sharp insight, his political commentary is timeless, and applies today every bit as much as it did at the time it was first spoken. That is why this quote became the title of today's blog.
This has been a long time coming, but especially for the last week, I am digusted to my very bones. It was the self inflated, smarmy press conference by the Iraq Study Grope (no, I didn't spell that wrong) that has brought me to a boil. Sandra Day O'Connor, talking to the assembled media, exhorting them to bring the public along to accept the recommendations of that bunch of has-beens made me gag. That's just what we need in these dangerous days, calculated soundbites, misleading headlines and inflammatory slogans to convince us that we are losers. Opps, never mind, we are already there!
What has happened to us, as a nation? The last of the greatest generation is almost gone. People with real steel in their spines, who were willing to do whatever was needed to stand up for what is right. Once moved, they set their sights on victory, put their heads down and plowed forward never even entertaining the possiblity of defeat. At home and abroad, they did whatever would achieve the stated goal, no matter how distateful or difficult it was. There were things that might have been done differently (they should have listened to General Patton, for instance), but it was all in. History, it is said, is written by the victors.
Problem is, the majority of folks don't spend the time and energy to understand our history. What they are getting is history light, the Cliff notes version. And the emphasis is placed on what was wrong with what occured in the past, not what was right. Current events, then, are viewed though this clouded prism and the result is a whining indecisiveness and a willingness to entertain defeat as a viable option. Incremental defeat, but defeat, none the less.
The Brits are an example of this incremetal defeat. With a huge Muslim population, self segregated from the whole of the society, the Brits have agreed to allow a separate system of justice to be formed. The have accepted Sharia law for those in the population to whom it may apply. And any investigations of potential Muslim terrorist are now reviewed by a panel of Imams and what amounts to tribal chieftains to avoid offending the sensitivities of the Muslim populace. Can we say "Separate, but equal"? The Canadians are also experimenting with Sharia courts in some places. They actually did it first. Must be their French heritage...

Speaking of France, they also have a huge Muslim populace. Remember the terrible riots, days of it? Fires and destruction in the streets. More self segregated people, convinced by their leaders that they are mistreated, somehow. Laws and societal conventions that apply to everyone else somehow shouldn't apply to them. France has fought us every step of the way in our battle with the hate mongering extremists that have destruction of western society as a stated goal. It didn't save them from anything, and it won't in the future.
That brings us to Spain. After a communication from Osama himself, telling Europe that if they get out of Iraq, they would be left alone (read that saved for last), a well timed and bloody attack on civilians changed their government. The attack, timed to elections there, was enough to cause people to vote for those who promised to pull back from the fight.
Can you imagine such a thing happening in the US? A direct attack on us is like kicking over an ant hill. There is an outpouring of anger, much activity, attacking and stinging whatever we find that may have done such a thing. But like the ants, our memory is short. Soon, if left unattacked, we go back to the business at hand. Even those who did the kicking can walk right up to the nest and we don't respond. Not really. Oh, there may be a few stragglers that jump on and sting, or try to alert the colony, but not much happens.
A direct attack is not the way to work us. The people who hate us, and they do hate us, may be brutal and ideological throwbacks, but they are not stupid. Many of the leaders understand our history better than most of us. Many were educated in the west, even in the US. The way to work us is through our poor understanding of our own history. Pinch us in our guilt, work on our misplaced compassion, bend that now steelless spine around until we are bent all the way over and our head is firmly placed up our own rears. Now we are ready to negotiate!
Well, here we are...smelling the unmistakable eau de feces, yet? I am, that Iraq study group reeked of it. For God sake people, one can only negotiate an acceptable solution from a position of strength. And having one's head up one's own pipes is hardly a position of strength. We have to have something the other guy wants, as well as something he definately doesn't want. Simply put, they need to be afraid us, what we may do if pressed. You think these guys are worried about what we may do? We cry and whine if we think some killer may get waterboarded to find out what he knows while they enjoy hacking off some poor soul's head with a rusty knife. Yes, enjoy it, make a video and put it up for the world to see.
I don't know where we are headed in this country. Do I sound like an alarmist, some melodramatic right wing kook? Well, look for yourself, why don't you. Past the political rhetoric, past the soundbites. Wake up, for God's sake, and smell the...hey, that's not coffee!